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Chen P, Chen Y, Xia N, Fan B, Niu Z, He Z, Wang X, Yuan J, Gupta N, Shen B. A pyruvate transporter in the apicoplast of apicomplexan parasites. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2314314121. [PMID: 38865262 PMCID: PMC11194499 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314314121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Pyruvate lies at a pivotal node of carbon metabolism in eukaryotes. It is involved in diverse metabolic pathways in multiple organelles, and its interorganelle shuttling is crucial for cell fitness. Many apicomplexan parasites harbor a unique organelle called the apicoplast that houses metabolic pathways like fatty acid and isoprenoid precursor biosyntheses, requiring pyruvate as a substrate. However, how pyruvate is supplied in the apicoplast remains enigmatic. Here, deploying the zoonotic parasite Toxoplasma gondii as a model apicomplexan, we identified two proteins residing in the apicoplast membranes that together constitute a functional apicoplast pyruvate carrier (APC) to mediate the import of cytosolic pyruvate. Depletion of APC results in reduced activities of metabolic pathways in the apicoplast and impaired integrity of this organelle, leading to parasite growth arrest. APC is a pyruvate transporter in diverse apicomplexan parasites, suggesting a common strategy for pyruvate acquisition by the apicoplast in these clinically relevant intracellular pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan430070, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yukun Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan430070, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ningbo Xia
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan430070, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bolin Fan
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan430070, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhipeng Niu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan430070, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhengming He
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan430070, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signal Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen361005, Fujian Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signal Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen361005, Fujian Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Nishith Gupta
- Intracellular Parasite Education and Research Labs, Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani500078, Hyderabad, India
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, Berlin10115, Germany
| | - Bang Shen
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan430070, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Shenzhen518000, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen518000, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China
- Frontiers Science Center for Animal Breeding and Sustainable Production, Wuhan430070, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
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Kobayashi Y, Komatsuya K, Imamura S, Nozaki T, Watanabe YI, Sato S, Dodd AN, Kita K, Tanaka K. Coordination of apicoplast transcription in a malaria parasite by internal and host cues. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2214765120. [PMID: 37406097 PMCID: PMC10334805 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2214765120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has a nonphotosynthetic plastid called the apicoplast, which contains its own genome. Regulatory mechanisms for apicoplast gene expression remain poorly understood, despite this organelle being crucial for the parasite life cycle. Here, we identify a nuclear-encoded apicoplast RNA polymerase σ subunit (sigma factor) which, along with the α subunit, appears to mediate apicoplast transcript accumulation. This has a periodicity reminiscent of parasite circadian or developmental control. Expression of the apicoplast subunit gene, apSig, together with apicoplast transcripts, increased in the presence of the blood circadian signaling hormone melatonin. Our data suggest that the host circadian rhythm is integrated with intrinsic parasite cues to coordinate apicoplast genome transcription. This evolutionarily conserved regulatory system might be a future target for malaria treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Kobayashi
- Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama226-8503, Japan
| | - Keisuke Komatsuya
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo113-0033, Japan
- Laboratory of Biomembrane, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo156-8506, Japan
| | - Sousuke Imamura
- Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama226-8503, Japan
- Space Environment and Energy Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Tokyo180-8585, Japan
| | - Tomoyoshi Nozaki
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo113-0033, Japan
| | - Yoh-ichi Watanabe
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo113-0033, Japan
| | - Shigeharu Sato
- Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama226-8503, Japan
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah88400, Malaysia
- Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah88400, Malaysia
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki852-8523, Japan
| | - Antony N. Dodd
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, NorwichNR4 7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Kiyoshi Kita
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo113-0033, Japan
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki852-8523, Japan
- Department of Host-Defense Biochemistry, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki852-8523, Japan
| | - Kan Tanaka
- Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama226-8503, Japan
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